Machine for operating upon the soles of shoes



April 16, 1929. .A. EPPLER 1,709,342

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON THE SOLES 0F SHOES Filed Aug. 30, 1924 ZSheets-Sheet 1 EllW-Eh 3 A. EPPLER April 16, 1929.

IACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON THE SOLES 0F SHOES 2 W t m ch V a NW m 6 g u .1, n M

Fig.5.

Patented Apr. 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW EPPLER, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T UNITED SHOE MA- CHINERY CORPORATION, OF FATHER-SON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON THE SOLES OF SHOES.

Application 'filed August 30, 1524. Serial No. 735,147.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for operating on the soles of shoes and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine of the type set forth in United States Letters Patent No. 1,030,606, gran-ted June 25., 1912, upon application of F. H. Perry for improvements in machines for rounding and channeling an outsole after the sole has been temporarily secured to a lasted 51106 and preparatory to permanently sewing or securing the outsole to the shoe.

Machines of the type-referred to have been provided with a gage for 'uiding the shoe while it is being operated upon and with mechanism for varying the relative posit-ion of the gage and the operating tool or tools to vary the projection of the sole at different portions of the shoe, this mechanism comprising a plurality of cams for varying the operative position of the gage to enable the machine to operate upon various styles of shoes. These cams are mounted si-de-by-side upon a rotary shaft or arbor and any one of the cams may be rendered operative by adjustment of the connections between the gage and the cams. The shaft which carries the cams is actuated intermittently through a friction clutch under the control of the operator and in order to insure effective and reliable operation of the clutch, the cams are made of wood so that they will be of light weight and consequently will not impose a heavy load upon the cam shaft such as would. rmder it difficult accurately to startand stop the rotation of the cams in the proper timed relation with the other mechanism of the machine. Being made of wood, however, the cams quickly become worn in use so that they do not accurately determine the position of the forepartand consequently they frequently have to be replaced by new cams. Unless a large supply of duplicate cams is kept on hand a new cam has to be made to order each time it becomes necessary to replace an old one and as a result the rounding and channeling machine is obliged to remain idle more or less frequent intervals while the new cams are being constructed, and unless the factory is equipped with a special machine for making cams it is necessary to order the new cams from an outside source. In such cases the rounding and channeling machine is liable to be idle for a considerable length of time with the resulting loss occasioned by the reduction in the output of the machine.

\Vith the foregoing in view, one object of the present invention is to provide, for use in machines of the type referred to, a device for varying the relative position of a gage, such as a forepart gage, and an operating tool or tools, which is capable of varying the operative relation of the gage to the tool.

or tools, so that the sole will project differently in shoes of different styles, but which is not subject to any such wear in ordinary use that replacement of the device or any of its parts will be necessary, and which is of suflicient-ly light weight to enable the de ice to be intermittently actuated in a satisfactory manner, as through the medium of friction driving means.

To this end, one feature of the present invention consists in the combination, in a machine for operating upon the soles of shoes, of a tool and a gage, and means for relatively actuating the tool and the gage comprising a cam having a member adjustable to change the pitch or throw of the cam to cause different relative movements to take place between the gage and the tool for shoes of different styles.

. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, an adjustable cam for actuating the forepart gage of a rounding and channeling machine is mounted between two rotary members of a control device which is secured to an arbor corresponding to the arbor carrying the plurality of wooden cams in the machine disclosed in the patent referred to, and means provided, which is rendered operative by relative movement of said rotary members, for setting the adjustable cam to vary the extent of movement of the forepart gage in accordance with the amount of sole projection desired or the style ofthe shoe to be operated upon. Provision is also made for locking the adjustable cam in various positions of adjustment and a scale is provided which is graduated to indicate graphically the amount of sole projection obtainable by the various settings of the adjustable cam. The illustrated device is of compact construction, involving the use of much less material than that necessary in the making of the plurality of wooden cams heretofore employed and the device is oreferabl made of li ht wei 'ht metal such 1 J a: a 7

as an aluminum alloy, so as to reduce to a minimum the amount of inertia to be overcome in starting, and the amount of momentum to be checked in stopping the rotation of the de vice.

The device above briefly described is'adapted to provide for the proper amount of move ment of the forepart gage to secure such variations of sole projection at the foreparts of different shoes as is required to take care of the ordinary range of work. In order to enable difiierent variations of sole projections to be vices for supplementing the action of said control device. 'As herein shown, auxiliary control devices are provided comprising a plurality of wooden cams such as those heretofore employed for moving the forepart gage relatively to the crease guide in rounding and channeling machines, and these auxiliary cams are arranged at one side of the main control device and are connected to turn in unison therewith.

The invention further consists in various features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which will be obvious from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a view, in side elevation,of a roundin g and channeling machine embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of a portion of the improved device for controlling the movement of the forepart gage;

3 is a view, partially in front elevation and partially in section, of the control de vice and associated parts the device being turnedapproximately ninety degrees from the position in which it appears in Fig. 2;

Fig. t is a view, partially in front elevation and partially in section, of aportion of the macnine shown in Fig. 1, showing the applicati-c-n thereto of the improved control device;

5 is an end elevational view of the adjusts le cam or member constituting a por tion of the control device; and

A m tatable member for adjusting the throw of the ac justable cam shown in Fig. 5.

The machine shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings is provided with a trimming knife 10, a work support12, which also acts as a crease guide for gui ing the shoe by the inseam while the shank portions are being trimmed, a sole sr ,port 14, a channel knife 16. a feed plate 18, which also acts'as a cutting block, and a nor- ,of operation. For a thorough unit Fin: 6' is an end elevational view of the roranged and operated in suostantial re manner as the corresponding parts shown and described in the patent to French and Meyer No. 599,602, dated February 22, 1898. to which reference may be had letailed description of their construction of the present invention, however, it will be suiiicient to know that while the shoe is being operated upon along the shank it is ed by the crease guide 12; that when the ca line is reached. the operator depresses t treadle connected ith the rod 2% to bring e forepart 26 into position upper of the shoe at the inseam; and that forepart gage remains in operative position during the operation around the forepart of the s is and is thrown out of operation as the ball line upon the opposite side of the shoe is reached by releasing the treadle connected with the rod 24:.

The illustrated machine is further provided with a control device which determines the position of the ferepart gage relatively to the knives 10 and 16. The control device comprises a rotary cam disk or member 25 havin an ustable portion for varying the position of the forepart gage relatively to the knives, and means for adjusting said portion to vary the throw of the cam so as to vary the extent of movement imparted to the gage to adapt the machine to operate upon shoes of different styles. In addition to the adjustable cam just referred to, the control device also comprises a plurality of auxiliary cams 26 (Figs. 1 and 4.) for supplementing the action of the adjustable cam, as will hereinafter appear. Both the adjustable cam and the a (diary cams are rigidly secured upon a rotatable shaft or arbor 28, and the arbor 28 is supported. between a center 29 and the reduced end of a shaft 30 which is received in a suitable bearing in the arbor and is suitably journaled in the frame of the machine. The center 29, which supports the outer end of the arbor 28, is mounted so that it mav be readily withdrawn to permit removal in sertion of the arbor for the purpose of changing the auxiliary cams. A plate 31 is secured to fit ige near the end of the shaft 30, and is provided with a lug 33 which engages a notcn 3a in ahead 35 formed on the airior, t ins coupling the arbor to the shaft 30 so that motion is transmitted from the shaft to the control. device. The arbor 28 and the control device are intermittently rotated during lit the operation of the machine through a friction clutch connecting the shaft 80 with a sleeve 36 through which said shaft extends. This friction clutch comprises a flange 37 which is formed on the end of the sleeve 36 and is provided with a cylindrical rim 38 surrounding the flange 32 on the shaft 30. T wo segmental clutch shoes, one of which is shown at 39, are arranged within the rim 38, and a friction ring 40 is interposed between the clutch shoes and the rim. The clutch shoes 39 are operated to connect and disconnect theshaft 30 and the sleeve 36 by mech anism which is the same in construction and mode of operation as that employed for a corresponding purpose in the machine shown in the Perry patent hereinbefore refer ed to. The sleeve 36 is adapted to be rotated intermittently in opposite directions by driving mechanism which is the same as the correspending mechanism disclosed in said Perry patent, the arrangement in the illustrated machine being such that when the control deice is coupled with the sleeve 36 through the friction clutch, the control device will be driven in one direction for operation upon right shoes and in the reverse direction for operation upon left shoes. The control device is adapted to co-operate with a roller 42 (Fig. 1)

carried by an arm 4 connected with the arm 22 carrying the forepart gage. The roller 47-4 is mounted upon the arm 44 in the manner shown and described in said Perry patent whereby the roller is capable of being adjusted transversely of the length of the arnr to adapt it for co-operation with the adj ustable cam or with any one of the auxiliary cams which are mounted beside the control device upon the arbor 28. The control device is adapted to function, upon rotation ofthe arbor 28 in one direction, to move the forepartrelatively to the crease guide 12 as required for operation around the forepart of a left shoe and, upon rotation of the arbor 28 in the reverse direction, to move the foiepart gage relatively to the crease guide as required for operation around the forepart of a right shoe.

To enable the amount of movement of the fore it gage relatively to the knives to be varied differently in shoes of different styles, the cam disk 25 is provided with an adjustable portion or cam member 50. As shown, the ca e member 50 is of elongated curved form r is pivoted at 52 (Fig. upon the cam dish and the disk 25 is keyed to a collar 5-iconnected with the shaft 30 so that the cam disk 25 is fast upon said shaft. The means for adjusting the member 50 comprises a disk 48 which is rotatably mounted on the shaft 30 and is formed with an arcuate cam groove 56 adapted to receive a projection 58 at the unpivoted end of the member 50, the cam groove 56 being eccentric to the shaft 30cc that rotaticj of the disk 48 will swing the member 50 inwardly or outwardly about its pivotal connection with the cam disk 25 so as to vary the throw of the cam. The disk l8 also carries a spring-pressed plunger 60 arranged to enter one ota plurality of apertures 62 in the cam dish 25 so as to lock the disk 48 and consequently the cam member 50 in adjusted position.

The adjustable cam 25 is spaced from the head 35 of the arbor or shaft 28 by means of a sleeve 64- (Figs. 3 and 4) which engages the head and the disk e 8. A nut 66, threaded upon the opposite end of the arbor 28, holds the collars 5 1, the adjustable cam 25, and the auxiliary cams 26 against outward axial displacement. The plunger 60 is slidably mounted in a bearing 68 on the disk a8 and the inner end of the plunger is reduced in diameter to adapt it to enter the apertures in the disk. The outer end of the plunger 60 is provided with a knurled head 70 by which it may conveniently be manipulated to withdraw its inner end from the apertures 62 and thus to release-the disk 48 so that it maybe turned to vary the setting of the cam member 50. The plunger is norinall held in engagement with one or another or' he apertures by the force of a g 72 secured at one end, by means of a screw i l, to the disk 4:8 and having its opposite end forked at 75 to straddle the plunger 60 between the shoulders formed by an annular groove 76 in the plunger, the groove being so located that the spring will not interfere with the withdrawal of the plunger from the apertures 62. The apertures 62 are arranged concentrically with the shaft 30 in the path of rotation the plunger 60 and they are equally spaced part. The spacing of the apertures 62 and the eccentricity of the groove 76 are such that rotation of the disk 48 through a suflicient number of degrees to move the plunger 60 from one aperture to the next aperture will vary the adjustment of the cam 50 so as to vary the movement of the forepart gage approximately 1/64 inch and thus to cause maximum projection of the sole at the forcpart to be either 1/6 inch more or 1/64 inch less than at the previous setting of the cam.

As shown, a scale 7 8 is provided on the periphery of the disk 48 to co-operate with the shoulder or edge portion 80 of the cam member 50 to afford a convenient indication of the setting of the cam. The spacing of the graduations in the scale 78 corresponds in degrees of separation with the spacing of the apertures 62. The graouation corresnondin with the first aperture 62 is marked 2 /32, iii dicative of the minimum amount of maximum projection of the sole edge obtainable when the plunger 60 is located in said aperture. Successive alternate graduations in the scale 7 8 are marked 2, 8, t and 5 indicating variations of 2/32, 3/32, 4/32 and 55/32,

llil

respectively, in the amount of projection of the sole edge. The graduations between those iarked as above described are unmarked and indicate variations of 1/64! in the amount of sole projection.

It has been found in practice that six dittterent settings of the cam member 50 are sufiicient to take care of the desired amount of variation in the projection of the sole at the roreparts of shoes of ordinary styles. ln order, however, to enable the amount of sole projection to be varied dill'erently forspecial work, several collars 54 have been provided, these collars being adapted to serve as hubs for carrying theauxiliary cams 26 (Figs. 1 and 3) which may be of special shape designed to produce the contour or projection of solo edge desired and which may be made 01: wood as usual heretofore to secure lightness of construction.

Asshown, each collar 54 is formed with a radially projecting peripheral flange 84 between which and the corresponding flange of the adjacent collar (or the hub of the ad- -ustablc cam disk the auxiliary cams are located. The collar 54 next to the cam disk locked to said disk by means of a key 85 (hi l) carried by the collar and projecting into a notch 86 in the side of the disk. The other collars 54- have corresponding keys carried thereby and each key is arran ed to enter a notch torn ed in the tie 84 t :he collar next to the right thereof (viewing 4-). nus the several collars M are keyed to one another and also to the cam disk and the keys are'arranged to function also in securing the auxiliary cams to the collars. in order to secure the collars, and consequently the control device 25 and the auxiliary cams 26 to the shaft 30, the outermost collar 54 is secured to the shaft 30 by means or a key 88. Adventageously the my 88 is seated in akeyway in the outer collar 54- and is formed with a stem 90 which is received. in an aporturo in the collar. With this construction "ihekey 88 is secured to the collar so that it is removable with thecollar from the shaft, thus obviating the necessity of cutting a key- Way in the cam disk 25 and in the disk 48 to enable said disks to be withdrawn from the shaft 30. To enable the keys S l to be carried by their respective collars he keys may be made with stems 92 to be received in apertures in the collars.

lit will be apparent from the foregoing description that the various 3 o i the ad justhble cam 25 may be r withdrawing; the plunger 1 knurled head of the plunger as turn the disk 48 until the approi tion the scale 78 registers w noon the adjustable cam member 50. Such turninsr of the disk &8 operates through the cam groove 56 and the co-operating' projection 58 on the cam member 50 to swing said member inwardly or outwardly about its pivot 52, thus varying the de ree or" eccentricity of its cam face relatively to the shaft 30 to vary the t new of the cam and thus to vary the amount of movement of the forepart gage relatively to the trimmin and channeling knives during the opcr i oi the latter. around the roropalt oi theshoe. This movement of the varies the position of the sole edge relatively to the knives and thus produces the desired variation in width of the sole edge. Upon release oi the plunger 60 it will enter the aperture 62 corresponding with the selected graduation of the scale 78, thus loci-zin the cam 50 in adjusted position. lhe auxiliary cams may be designed to take care of any variation of sole which may be desired for special classes of work, and shitting the cam roll L2 into position for engagement with one or anoth r of the auxiliary cams the forepart gage may be moved to secure the desired amount of sole projection. v Having thus described my invention, what i c aim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent or the United States is:

1. In a machine for operating upon th soles shoes the combination with a tool and a gage, oi cam for relatively actuatinej the tool and the comprising member adjustable to change the pitch of the cam to vary the relative movement of the gage and the tool ior-shoes-oi dilierent styles. i

In a machine for operating' upon the soles of shoes t-he combination with a tool and a o'e, ot a cam for relatively actuating the tool and the gage comprising members relatively adjustable to the pitch or" the cam to cause different relative movements to be imparted to the and the tool for shoes of (lit er styles. 7 v

3. In a sole rounding and channeling machine, the con'ibination with the lruives and the torcpart page, of rigidly connected members movable in unison with each other. and

means for varying the connection between, said iueu'ibcrs adjusting: them relatively to each other to impart difierent movements to the relatively to the knives to secure dii'lerent variations of sole edge in shoes of different styles. 7

l. In a machine for operatingupon the soles of shoes, combination with a tool and agage movable one relatively to the other, or"- a rotatable arbor, and means for relatively moving the tool and the gage comprising a device rigidly secured upon said arbor, said device being ad ust-able to vary the extent of the relative movement of the tool and the r 5. In a machine for operating upon the of shoes. in combination, a tool and a movable one relatively to the other. a rotatable arbor means for securing relative movement of the tool and the gage compris- Cir lli)

ing a cam fast on the'arbor and having an ad justable section, means for rotating the arbor, and means including a member rotatable on the arbor for adjusting said cam section.

6. In a machine for operating upon the soles of shoes, the combination with a tool and a gage, of a cam for relatively actuating the tool and the gage, said cam having a surface adjustable to vary the pitch of the cam, and means for adjusting said surface to impart different relative movements to the gage and the tool for shoes of different styles.

7. In a machine for operating upon the soles of shoes, the combination with a tool and a gage, of a cam for relatively actuating the gage and the tool, said cam having a surface adjustable to vary the pitch of the cam, means for adjusting said surface to impart different relative movements to the gage and the tool for shoes of different styl s, and means for locking said member in adjusted position.

8. In a n achine for operating upon the soles of shoes. the combination with a tool and agage, of a cam for relatively actuating the gage and the tool, said cam having a surface adjustable to vary the pitch of the cam, means for adjusting said surface to impart different relative movements to the gage and the tool for shoes of different styles, and means for locating said member any one of a plurality of predetermined adjusted positions.

9. In machine for operating upon the soles of shoes, the combination with a tool and a of means including a cam of vari able shape for moving the gage relatively to the tool. a member located adjacent to the cam and movable to vary the shape of the cam, and a scale carried by said member for co-operation with a portion of the cam to indicate the variation in shape of the cam.

10. In a machine for operatin upon the soles of shoes, the combination with a tool and a relatively movable into and out of operative relation to one another, of means for determining the operative relation of the gage and the tool, said means comprising a cam member the pitch of which is adjustable to varv said operative relation.

11. Ina rounding or channeling machine, the combination with a knife and a gage movable into and out of operative relation with the knife, of means for determining the initial operative position of the gage and for moving the gage relatively to theknife while in operative relation thereto, said means comprising a cam of variable shape for varylng the extent of movement of the gage while in operative relation to the knife.

I 12. In a machine for operating upon the soles of shoes, in combination, a tool and a gage movable one relatively to theother, a rotatable arbor, means for securing relative movement of the tool and the gage comprising a member mounted on the arbor, means for rotating the arbor, and means connecting said member for rotation with the arbor, said means being constructed and arranged to support an auxiliary cam and secure it in fixed relation to the arbor.

13. In a machine for operating upon the soles of shoe, in combination, a tool and a cage movable one relatively to the other, a rotatable arbor removably mounted between centers, means for rotating the arbor, a head at one end of the arbor, means including a member mounted upon the arbor for securing said relative movement of the tool and gage, a sleeve for spacing said member from said head, and removable means for securing said member for rotation with said arbor and for cooperating with the sleeve to prevent axial displacement of said member upon the arbor.

14. In a sole rounding or channeling ma chine, the combination with a knife and a gage, of a rotatable cam having an adjustable section for imparting different relative movements to the gage and the knife for shoes of different styles.

15. In a sole rounding or channeling machine, the combination with a knife and a gage, of an adjustable cam for relatively actuating the and the knife, and means for adjusting the cam to impart different relative movements to the gage and the knife for shoes of different styles.

16. In a machine for operating upon the soles of shoes, the combination with a tool and a gage, of a rotary shaft, a cam rigidly secured to said shaft, a cam section adj ustably mounted on said cam, a disk rotatably mounted on the shaft, a connection between the adjustable cam section and the disk whereby rotation of the latter moves said adj ustable section to vary the throw of the cam, a follower for the cam, and operative connections between the cam follower and the gage.

17. In a machine for operating upon the soles of shoes, the combination with a tool and a gage, of a rotary shaft, a cam disk rigidly secured to said shaft, a cam member mounted on said disk with provision for adjustm ent to vary the throw of the cam, a second disk rotatably mounted on the shaft, connections between the cam member and the second disk whereby rotation of the latter varies the adj ustmcnt of the cam disk, in for locking the cam disk in adjusted position, a follower for the cam, and operative connections between the cam follower and the gage.

18. In a machine for operating upon the soles of shoes, the combination with a' tool and a gage, of means for relatively actuating the gage and the tool comprisin a rotatable member adjustable to vary the operative relation of the gage to the tool for shoes of different styles, and means associated with said member for maintaining in fixed relation 6 mo e i2 therewith auxiliary means for supplementing means for receiving and removably securing the action thereof. in fixed relation to said device a plurality of 19. In a sole rounding or channeling maauxiliary cams for supplementing the action 10 chine, the combination with a knife and the of said device. 5 forepart gage, of a rotatable cam device hav- In testimony whereof I have signed my ing an adjustable portion for imparting name to this specification. different movements to the forepart gage, and I ANDREWV EPPLER. 

